The concept of utilizing a hook, or “finding”, to insert through a piercing in a wearer's ear is obviously known. U.S. Pat. No. 1,419,021, to Cicerchi discloses an earring assembly, a portion of which is inserted through a piercing in the wearer's lobe. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,176, to King, is directed to a support cradle for a pierced earring, to reduce stress to the user's earlobe. U.S. Pat. No. 371,283, to Smitten, discloses an earring assembly for a pierced ear with a locking mechanism to hold the earring in place. U.S. Pat. No. 360,423, to Edge, discloses a pierced earring with a spring bow and catch. Another example of prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,393, to Ciambra, for an earring which loops the bottom portion of the wearer's lobe and penetrates a piercing. U.S. Pat. No. 208,230, to Fuller, demonstrates that use of a finding to hold an earring in place was known in 1878.
Including those mentioned in the referenced prior art, these are a number of ways to attach an ornament or earring to a wearer's earlobe. These include the kidney wire, the shepherd hook, with the penetrating portion thereof curved in a hooking fashion, the hinge lever post, as well as a ball post with ring, which latter application requires a friction nut. Such findings are all available and mass produced for utilization in jewelry manufacture.
There is not, however, full satisfaction with any of the existing prior art. Wearers complain of the loss of earring ornaments, discomfort, difficulty in affixing, or a combination thereof, with regard to existing earring findings.
A number of existing applications require two parts to make them secure, which presents difficulties in assembly and in fixation on the ear, because of the relatively small size of the individual parts. Prior art using hinged mechanisms is also costly to produce.
Standard “shepherd hook” findings, which are essentially findings with a large, curved hook which fits through the lobe piercing, without a separate fastener, are relatively easy to use and easy to attach an ornament to, but are also easily disengaged and often lost, along with the suspended ornament.
Existing “shepherd hook” findings also provide a curved supporting portion, which rests within a substantially straight, and approximately horizontal, aperture or piercing in the wearer's earlobe. The curved hook slides out of the straight piercing more easily. Also, as the weight of the suspended ornament places pressure on the earlobe, a curved finding within a straight piercing understandably places more pressure on each end of the piercing, rather than equally distributing it across the length of the piercing.
Accordingly, a need exists for an earring finding or support, of one piece unitary construction, to which an ornament may easily be attached, which will insert easily into a pierced earlobe, which will not be easily dislodged, and which will minimize discomfort to the wearer.